Tuesday, September 5th

Write: make a list of what you take to be the three most positive effects of the telegraph and the three most negative. You should write a few sentences on each justifying your choices.

Here is a guide and sample for Reading Notes. (The notes say “COM 473” ignore that part, as they are from a previous class that was “473” but the rest is accurate.)

Thursday, September 7th

Read: The Victorian Internet Tom Standage (Chp 9-Afterward, 144-217)

Reading Notes:

Define: New York Associated Press, Western Union, The Stock Market Ticker, “speaking telegraph”

Answer:

In the Epilogue and Afterward Standage updates the book for the changes in the Internet since he originally wrote it. The Afterward was written in 2007. Since that time there have already been significant changes. If you were to write a second Afterward for the book covering the Internet today what would you want to add?

Standage wants you to believe that the telegraph was the Victorian Internet, or the “first internet” in what ways to you find his argument persuasive, in what ways do you think his claims fall short?

By Monday the 11th (at noon) add to your notes 2 Cultural Determinist statements you have heard, and 2 Technological Determinist statements. Quote it as accurately as you can and supply the context (who said it, in what circumstances etc.)